WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding the resignation of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel:

“Secretary Hagel has served during a challenging time for our armed forces. I appreciate his dedication to our troops.

“Secretary Hagel’s resignation does not change the shortcomings of the Administration’s national security strategy. I am concerned it will be difficult for any Defense Secretary to be effective given the President’s worldview. Our commander in chief has drawn red lines without consequence, believes success in Afghanistan can be sustained without a residual U.S. force, and telegraphs weakness to allies and adversaries alike. I hope President Obama will seek broad bipartisan support when nominating the next Secretary of Defense. We face diverse threats, from barbaric terrorist groups like ISIS to bold Russian aggression, and we need someone who can capably assess these challenges.”